{"id":6651,"date":"2017-03-28T00:42:02","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T04:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/?p=6651"},"modified":"2017-03-28T00:54:35","modified_gmt":"2017-03-28T04:54:35","slug":"project-52-week-41-part-two-ill-always-have-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/?p=6651","title":{"rendered":"Project 52, Week 41, Part Two – I’ll Always Have Paris!"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s time for Project 52<\/a>, Week 41!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

41 weeks (and one day) ago, on my 52nd birthday<\/a>, I began Project 52. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, each week I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m taking one year of my life and blogging about it. This week, I’m covering the year I was 41 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d June 14, 2005, to June 14, 2006.<\/p>\n

Last time, I covered the start of the hardest year of my life<\/a>. My husband was having an affair, but kept telling me they were friends and if I were a supportive wife I’d be happy he was spending time with his friend. More and more incidents happened when I found out he was seeing her behind my back. (After all, he couldn’t tell me or I would get upset!) So finally, at the end of October 2005, he told me he was going to file for divorce.<\/p>\n

But — remember how a full year before, I’d learned about a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Advanced Writing Retreat in Paris happening in November 2005?<\/a> I really wanted to go — and Steve said he’d pay for my trip, but we’d have to postpone the family ski trip we had been planning for that Thanksgiving. Eventually, he said we couldn’t afford it to be a family trip, so he’d go alone — and that was when he started his affair (I found out much later).<\/p>\n

However — now it was time for the Writer’s Retreat at the Abbaye de Royaumont! And so began the best vacation of my life — smack in the middle of the worst year of my life!<\/p>\n

The background was this: In 1999, I’d gone to an SCBWI Writer’s Retreat at the Abbaye de Royaumont<\/a>. When I went, I prayed that I’d make some friends who were also writers. I wanted some people in my life who understood my drive to write children’s books. And that prayer was answered! I got started there in an email critique group with Kristin Wolden Nitz, Vicki Sansum, and Erin MacLellan. We emailed regularly, and all three of them had gotten published in the intervening years. (It was my turn — some day. Now I want to wait until after I’ve been on the Newbery committee.) We called ourselves the Sisters of Royaumont.<\/p>\n

As it happened, all four of us were able to go to the 2005 Retreat! And Vicki arranged a place to stay so we could spend some time in Paris together before and after the retreat! So I was in Paris November 2 through 10!<\/p>\n

Remember also that the week before was when Steve told me he wanted a divorce. And the morning after he told me that, I woke up and decided to get my Master’s in Library Science and become a librarian.<\/p>\n

Early on the morning of the 2nd, I drove myself to the train station in Kaiserslautern. (From there, it was a straight shot to Paris. About 5 hours.) I was praying hard as I drove. Praying that it would be a good conference. Praying that the Lord would walk with me as I tried to be a librarian and a writer. Praying that my marriage would be restored.<\/p>\n

And then I looked up — and there was a bright rainbow right in front of me, over my path.<\/p>\n

I decided that maybe it was childish and silly — but I was<\/em> going to take it as a sign that the Lord would answer those prayers.<\/p>\n

And wow — was the conference ever<\/em> good! And maybe the specific thing of my marriage being restored didn’t happen — but I feel like light is shining on my whole life at this point. In retrospect, I’ll take it as a sign that There would be joy for me!<\/em> Yes!<\/p>\n

And as soon as I got there, my friends enveloped me with love. They let me talk incessantly about Steve and all my confusion and pain. And I just felt loved.<\/p>\n

Kristin didn’t arrive as soon as the rest of us. But here are Vicki, Erin’s friend Robin, Erin, and me having dinner that first night.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_02<\/a><\/p>\n

Something I noticed right from the start: Frenchmen are far, far more likely to flirt with you if you visit Paris with girlfriends than if you come with your husband and two sons. And at that point in my life, it felt wonderful to have handsome French strangers flirt with me!<\/p>\n

The next morning we started out with a visit to Montmartre.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_02<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_02<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_02<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_02<\/a><\/p>\n

Somewhere along the way, we picked up Kristin and visited Notre Dame.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are Vicki, Kristin, and Erin, having lunch across from Notre Dame. (That was the meal when I lost a crown. But it didn’t hurt, and I got through the week without it.)<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

Then we visited the gargoyles! I’d never been to the top of Notre Dame before and loved this.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

Here I am, filling the bell tower with my great height!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

Across the street from Notre Dame, I had to get a picture at the street named after the famous mathematician!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

Erin wanted a picture with the truckful of bread we found!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

And that night we went for a walk, skipping together and singing songs from musicals! It was so good to feel joyous!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

We were at the Louvre, looking at the pyramid, when we turned around and saw the Eiffel Tower. “It’s Sparkling!!!<\/em>”<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_03<\/a><\/p>\n

And then — the writer’s conference at Royaumont started!<\/p>\n

It was planned to be a working retreat, so we each had private rooms. The first few pictures were taken in the morning out my window of the lovely grounds.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

Later I went for a walk myself.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

There’s Kristin, writing away!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

In the middle of the conference, my quiet time notebook had me looking at these verses from Psalm 112:<\/p>\n

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
\nfor the gracious and compassionate and righteous woman….
\nShe will have no fear of bad news;
\nher heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
\nHer heart is secure, she will have no fear;
\nin the end she will look in triumph on her enemies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That sums up what I got from that trip and that conference. I took as my icon for the trip the Arc de Triomphe. I was encouraged that I would triumph!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

This was my room:<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

And I went for a walk at night, too.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_04<\/a><\/p>\n

Another sunrise from my window.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

And the conference itself was inspiring. I was thinking about and excited about being a librarian and a writer. I was excited about the future — whether or not my marriage was ever restored. I was surrounded by wonderful book people. I even got a work session with an editor and she agreed to look at my manuscript of my second novel!<\/p>\n

Here are Erin and Kristin taking a walk while I was inside working this time.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s a Group Shot of all the writers at the conference. Can you find me?<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

This one features Erin and Kristin.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

And here we are — the Sisters of Royaumont!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_06<\/a><\/p>\n

Our last morning at Royaumont!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

I love this candid, because it shows just how much fun<\/em> all us writers were having!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is Erin with author Franny Billingsley, who was attending the conference, too.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

And here we are again!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

Almost time to go. Here are Erin and Kristin.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

That night, we visited Erin’s friend and Kristin got novel background material from her Finnish husband.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

Robin and their parrot:<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_07<\/a><\/p>\n

I think Kristin had to leave the next day, but we roamed Paris.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

At the park by Victor Hugo’s house.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

I mentioned last time that the Spring before — after I found out my husband was seeing another woman — I got depressed and lost more than 20% of my weight and was down to my high school weight of 105 pounds. Basically, I was skeletal. So — my friends decided to fatten me up! And there is no<\/em> better place to be fattened up than Paris! Let me just say that aspect of the trip was fantastique<\/em>!<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_08<\/a><\/p>\n

We went to the Mus\u00c3\u00a9e d’Orsay.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

I think it was Vicki’s tip to eat lunch in the tea room, which was pretty much the most elegant place in the world.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

Our last night in Paris, we visited the Eiffel Tower.<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

L’Arc de Triomphe:<\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

The Eiffel Tower sparkled while we were standing underneath it!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2005_11_09<\/a><\/p>\n

So, what was God doing in my life November 2-10, 2005?<\/p>\n

Mostly, He was filling me with hope<\/strong> for the future, whether or not my marriage was restored.<\/p>\n

I was excited about becoming a librarian. I was energized about my writing. I’d been encouraged by people who loved me. I’d gotten to talk out all my frustration and pain and fear. I’d been fattened up! I heard fantastic speakers and attended wonderful workshops about writing. I’d been surrounded by book people. I’d seen beautiful Paris and realized that whatever happened, God would help me Triumph!<\/p>\n

Maybe Steve’s motives weren’t the best in giving me that trip to Paris. But without question, God used it for good.<\/p>\n

That trip was such an amazing blessing! In the middle of an incredibly hard year — God gave me an interlude that energized and inspired and uplifted me!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s time for Project 52, Week 41! 41 weeks (and one day) ago, on my 52nd birthday, I began Project 52. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, each week I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m taking one year of my life and blogging about it. This week, I’m covering the year I was 41 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d June 14, 2005, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-project-52"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6651\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/sonderjourneys\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}